The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock was written by T.S.Eliot in 1917 and belongs to the collection Prufrock and Other Observation.

Analyzing the title Elliot's intention to use innovative techniques in writing poetry comes to surface: The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock isn't a traditional title, it's peculiar , the poet  adds also the second name of Mr Prufrock. His surname, Prufrock, seems to be the union of two words: pruf, whose sound seems like proof's sound, and rock, something solid and firm, so the reader can understand that Mr Prufrock is a man that has problems  he probably will never reveal.

The poem starts with an epigraph taken from the Divina Commedia by Dante Alighieri where Guido Da Montefeltro in the XXVII canto of Hell reveals his fault because he knows that information will never leave the hell. This epigraph introduces the poem subject: the paralysis of human being: J.A.Prufrock will never tell his love to his beloved because he is afraid of consequences.

In the first stanza Mr Prufrock speaks with his consciousness, according to a  modernist style. There's a contrast between the first line  "let us go then you and I" and  the last one  "let us go and make our visit" and the rest of the stanza.

The first and the last lines are warm-hearted, the rest of the stanza presents sad images of  loneliness and tedium, a negative vision of repetitive life and routine, a vision of his life.

The stanzas are separated by the refrain "In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo." The refrain symbolizes the vulgarity of Elliot's time, he does not accept that people of low culture may talk about important subject like  Michelangelo in a stereotyped manner.

In the second stanza Eliot describes the October fog recalling the way a cat moves. The setting is external and Mr Prufrock is afraid of it, he prefers to be at home where he feels protected. Mr Prufrock can't express his love but he needs love, he feels powerless and weak.

The third stanza starts with the line  "and indeed there will be time", it underlines  the concept of time: Mr Prufrock is undecided, he postpones the moment of choice, he insists in the constant revisions of his future acts. Mr Prufrock is unable to do even  simple things like taking a toast and tea with his beloved. This stanza is connected with the epigraph becausethe concept of fear of exposing oneself  is repeated .

After the second refrain, the same as before, the fourth stanza starts again with the line "And indeed there will be time” to underline that Mr Prufrock postpones the moment of choice. He is afraid of people's judgement and askes himself if he can dare; he repeats “do I dare” twicw and  he asks if he will dare to disturb the universe. Mr Prufrock attributes great and serious consequences to a little action in a little moment.

In the fifth stanza the paralysis of Mr Prufrock is connected to his past experiences: he has known the anguishes of  life yet so taking risks  would be vain.

In the sixth stanza Mr Prufrock says that he has walked observing other men like him. He wants  to be different, he wants to act "I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of silent seas."

In the seventh stanza he asks his consciousness again if he must reveal his love or not, if change is worth or not. He continues to postpone the moment with some rituals, he doesn't feel brave enough to change because some past negative experiences have maid him afraid even if he's old. In this stanza Mr Prufrock admits his fears but he's speaking only with his consciousness.

In the eighth stanza he reveals the fear of being disappointed after the change. He thinks change is a miracle so he knows that expressing his love in  hell isn't enough. He wants to tell it to the lady, but it's late. He is alive but thinks his life is like the one of a dead p0erson, he is dead because he doesn't choose.

In the ninth stanza Eliot makes a parallel between Mr Prufrock and Shakespeare's Hamlet: they're opposite. Exactly as Hamlet he does not acts and they both do not disturb the universe, Mr Prufrock doesn't do anything, he is almost useless. In his description Mr Prufrock uses generally positive words but here they have a negative connotation .In the last stanza Mr Prufrock understands that he hasn't time and he is not better than any other, he makes a list of habits common to all ordinary human beings and understands that he is alone. In the end he understands he has spent too much time thinking about love without living  it and now even hope has disappeared.